Mirror Image
by Zamairiac
Summary: Alex has escaped hell itself but his story is not over yet. For now yet another test of his will stands to strike him down and erase him entirely. Himself...
1. Chapter 1

_**Well it's certainly been a while now hasn't it. I can scarcely remember the last time I wrote anything on this thing.**_

 _ **But I suppose time has a way of changing one's perspective, and in this case, time allowed me the rare pleasure of listening to someone reading a story I had almost forgotten about.**_

 _ **Nothing Is Set In Stone…**_

 _ **I'd honestly completely forgotten about this story, and all the other's that came along with it. So, on a whim I decided to read through the series again. And do you know what…I fucking liked what I was reading.**_

 _ **I'm never one to praise my own writing talent, but when I got to the end of Alex or Xander and realized that it was left on a cliff hanger, I actually shouted "Oh come on!" at the screen before remembering who actually wrote the damn thing.**_

 _ **So here we are one more time, from me to you…here we go.**_

 _ **Begin!**_

 **Prologue**

 **Alex Pov**

I was back.

Three words so small that if uttered quietly enough they would fade in the wind. And yet it was an unmistakable truth.

I _was_ back.

Back from the hell I had been imprisoned within. Back from the nightmare that refused to end, back from the pain and the fear.

I had escaped from it all, I was back!

…and yet I wasn't back, not really. A part of me, _the_ part of me that still remembers that place never came back. He screams in my head over and over, but so quietly that I can barely hear it.

Until that part of me wakes up and I remember it all, every single part of the torture I endured for almost three god forsaken years!

How does someone ever recover from something like that? How does someone wake up from a nightmare like that and tell the world that he's okay?

In my case…I chose to bury the memories as deep down as possible. And now that I was no longer immune to magic, possible it was.

It took no convincing on Celestia's part for me to agree to her plan. She would use her magic to bury the memories so deep down that the pain and fear I felt with every breath I took no longer crippled me to the point of insanity. I would remember what happened, but the trauma would remain forgotten.

But…I can still hear it, that part of me that she buried with them. When it's quiet…and I am alone, truly alone with nothing but my thoughts I can hear him _screaming_. It's quiet and barely a whisper…but it's there, and it never stops.

For nothing can take that part of me away, nothing except maybe…

 _Her._

She is my _everything_ , my love, my heart, my reason for waking up each and every day.

She is my-

"Honey…"

I open my eyes and shuffle uncomfortably against the covers surrounding me, blinking once, twice before the world came into view.

And with it came perfection…

She was looking down at me, her ears alert and twitching adorably, her eyes affectionate and kind. I could feel the soft texture of her fur as she moved against me beneath the covers, the sensation wonderfully warm against my skin. She smelled like…nothing I can compare, but something truly worth breathing in.

And as I took all of this in, her gaze remained upon my own. The love in those orbs almost more than I could take, and yet I would let her stare forever if it meant I could do the same.

I loved this Pony with all that I was, for she saved me again and again every morning I awoke and feared I was back in the nightmare.

She saved me with that silly smile, over and over again…

"I can feel it," she whispered, her eyes lidding tenderly. "Oh…I will never get tired of this, Alex."

She leaned down and I up, meeting in the middle with a soft kiss. There was no lust or desire within it, only our raw, powerful connection to the other.

"I love you," she breathed, tickling my ear ever so slightly.

"I love you too."

She giggled and all but collapsed upon me, her weight comfortable.

"I've missed you so much," she said, wiggling against me as she giggled again, sheer joy within her tone. "I never left you when you were unconscious, Alex. Never…but I've ached to hear your voice again."

She suddenly gasped and leaned up, a hoof upon her muzzle as she looked at me with shame.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to say that," she said rapidly, eyes becoming shiny. "Celestia! I am so selfish, I didn't mean to say it like that, I'm so sorry-"

I placed a hand upon her muzzle and made a soft shushing sound, eyes closing.

"I missed you too, Cadey," I soothed, eyes opening and regarding her with what I hoped was a reassuring look. "I thought about you every day I was trapped in there, you were all I had left."

Cadance's eyes teared up as she sniffed, before placing both her hooves upon my face and nuzzling my nose gently. "I'm so sorry for doing that to you," she whispered…and then she began to sob uncontrollably. "I w-was a h-horrible Pony. I k-knew something was wrong with me and I d-did nothing, and it's ALL M-MY FAULT SHE TORTURED YOU!"

She completely broke down, collapsing completely upon me as she hiccupped and sobbed and wailed. "I LOVE YOU MORE THAN ANYTHING, AND I LET A MONSTER TORTURE Y-Y-YOU!"

I could nothing but hold her to me, her words were affecting me more than I could bare and to move, to say anything back would cause me to become undone…and I couldn't let that happen again.

It took time beyond comprehension for Cadance to calm herself down, her sobs lessening to quiet, almost unnoticeable hiccups.

But eventually…

"O-oh, I'm sorry honey," she said quietly, lifting her tear streaked face to look at me. "I'm such a stupid mare, I don't even know why you want to be with me."

Finally, a smile for me, to give to her.

"Because I love you, you silly mare," I said, hand reaching up to cup her cheek, thumb brushing away the lone remaining tear. "And I always will."

My wish was answered as her face broke into a watery smile, a little laugh accompanying it.

"I'm supposed to be comforting you," she giggled, leaning down and stealing a quick kiss before leaning back and shaking her head. "You sure messed that up, didn't you?"

"What can I say, I'm a sucker for rule breaking." I sat up and pulled her with me, cupping her face once more as I kissed her gently, loving the little sounds she made as I nibbled her bottom lip.

"Now then," I said as I pulled away, grinning at the flush upon her cheeks as she looked at me lovingly. "What's say we get out of our pit and go have some breakfast, yeah?"

She grinned and nodded, eyes twinkling as she stole a quick kiss and hopped of the bed, swaying her way into the bathroom. She looked behind at me and winked before she shut the door slightly, leaving just the littlest of it open as an invitation.

I stood up and…stopped as something caught my eye. I turned to my right and looked at Cadance's vanity mirror, a small benign thing.

And yet…

My pale reflection stared right back, mouth open in a silent scream as he wailed against the confinement. My entire body shuddered, suddenly wracked with a phantom pain as I doubled over and shut my eyes, breathing heavily for one…two…three…

…and then I opened them, and the reflection was only me.

 _What the…_

"Alex, are you coming?"

I blinked and looked at Cadance, her head poking out of the bathroom door as she looked at me worriedly.

"Are you okay hon?" she asked.

I looked back at the mirror and breathed deeply, shaking my head ever so slightly before I looked back my her and smiled crookedly. "What, can't a man admire his perfect booty every once in a while?"

 _There's no sense in worrying her over whatever that was, it's gone in any case._

Cadance cocked an eye at me and thankfully lost her worried look, instead regarding me almost hungrily.

"Well you can, or…" she ducked her head back in the bathroom and suddenly I heard the sound of water running. Her head then poked back out and she grinned right at me. "You can leave a little bit of Alex booty for me to _admire_."

Grinning despite myself, it didn't take any more time for me to make my way into the shower with her.

It had been two weeks since I woke up, two weeks since I unwittingly released Princess Luna back into the word at least a decade early.

Two weeks since I learned of Luna's disturbing truth.

I didn't know it yet, but for better or worse everything was about to change for me.

And there was little I could do to stop it.

 _ **And that my friends is the little teasing prologue.**_

 _ **Basically, just to see whether or not this story still has people who want it. If you do, then yay. If you don't…then fuck it I'm writing it anyway, for my own curiosity if nothing else.**_

 _ **Cya, stay snuggly!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Well here we go again, I hope you enjoy!**_

 _ **Begin!**_

 **Moonflower**

 **Alex Pov**

Once we'd finished up our shower, Cadance and I made our way to the dining room to join Mom for breakfast. It wasn't too far a walk, and yet as we continued on our way I felt…weird, as if the world around me was slowing down. And yet when I truly looked around, there wasn't anything different about it.

 _Weird…_

"Hon?" Cadance's voice snapped me out of my thoughts and onto her, those all too familiar orbs gazing up at me in worry.

"I'm alright," I assured, rubbing my eyes gently. "Just a bit tired I suppose."

"Alex, don't lie-"

"I'm not lying," I said quickly, stopping and placing a quick finger upon her lips. "Please Cadance…I'm alright."

She didn't look convinced and all but glared at me, but thankfully dropped the matter, choosing instead to place a wing around my back as we walked.

A few moments later had us entering the dining room, a rather plain place all things considered but rather homely to those familiar with it. There was a lone, long table that filled out almost the entire room, and a couple of windows with an artistic design imprinting upon them. But beyond that, it was as I said rather plain, normal.

I liked it.

Sitting at the table was Mom herself, the ever busy mare flicking through what I presumed to be reports as she nibbled on some toast. Upon noticing us however, she smiled through her chewing and put the reports down, a familiar warmth greeting me as our eyes met.

"Good morning you two," she said softly, watching contently as we both sat down and began to fill up our plates. "And how are we today?"

"We're good Mo-"

"No, we're not, Alex," Cadance cut across, eying me almost apologetically before she turned to face Mom, who was watching the both of us with concern. "Alex won't tell you because he doesn't want to make you worry, but he's been really _off_ this morning."

"I'm not _off_ , Cadance, I'm fine," I began, already dreading where this conversation could go. I looked at Mom and smiled as confidently as possible. "Honestly, I'm just a bit tired and she's reading too much into it."

"I'm not reading too much into anything!" Cadance denied, putting a firm hoof upon my chest as she looked at me imploringly. "I know you enough to tell when something's wrong."

"Nothing is wrong, I'm just…recovering, that's all."

Cadance opened and closed her muzzle a few times before sighing and leaning into me, the sudden feeling of warmth making me shudder pleasantly.

"I hate it when you lie to me, Alex," she said quietly, looking at her empty plate. "I'm not trying to be all controlling or anything, I promise. I just want to protect you."

"Cadance…" I didn't know how to respond to that, I didn't have the slightest clue.

I wasn't lying to her, not really. I _was_ recovering, and I was tired…but I was also horribly confused and didn't know who to speak to.

 _"She knew you, she knew that she locked away your memories, she knew that she had regressed you by a decade, and she said NOTHING the entire time she was_ _mothering you!_ _"_

According to Nightmare Moon…or Luna she was now, Celestia DID know who I really was.

I was once a man named Xander, I was once Luna's lover, and Celestia had stripped this knowledge from me, regressed me to a young teenager and sent me away…to the future apparently.

It all sounded ludicrous, impossible. I wasn't Xander, sure we shared a familiar name, but my name was Alexander. And more, the Celestia I knew would never do something like that to anyone. She could never be so cruel.

And yet there was something deep inside me that made me doubt, that made me question as to whether Luna was telling the truth. I don't know what or why…but I felt it.

And then there was Cadance…

 _"I told you, when that part of my insanity was within her it was able to glance at a few memories, not all of them but enough for me to know that Cadance will_ _never_ _betray her mother figure."_

 _She looked at me and smirked gleefully. "In fact, she's more like Celestia than you think, that's what I got from her memories."_

More like Celestia how? Mom was kind and loved pretty much everyone. She didn't pick and choose, she just did. The only time I'd ever seen her truly angry, maybe even monstrous was when in Griffonia. But even then, she was only protecting me.

So, what could have Luna seen to make her compare Cadance to the monster Celestia seemed to be.

I didn't know, and a part of me didn't want to know. Hell, I didn't even want to think about it. I'd had enough of monstrous Alicorns to last me forever.

"Alex," Mom's soothing voice easily pulled me from my thoughts and onto her, her eyes soft and kind as they looked at me. "You know that I will never trying to make you say or do anything you do not want to do, but you do know that I am here if you ever want to talk, right?"

I smiled and nodded, heart dying a little as I felt guilt eat away at it. "I know, I'm…I really am alright, just give me time."

"Ok," she intoned softly, nodding once with a small smile. "Whenever you need me then."

I smiled at her again and shuffled a little closer with Cadance, grinning as I felt her hoof squeeze my hand around her stomach.

Luna couldn't be right, she couldn't be. This was just too perfect, a family that was mine and that loved me, and I them.

"Love you too, hon," Cadance whispered, smiling up at my confused expression before pecking my lips. "I can feel your affection for us, it's wonderful."

"Oh," I uttered, before smiling and kissing her back.

"You two are too cute," Mom giggled, watching the both of us contently. "Almost makes me wish for a stallion of my own."

At this Cadance perked up. "Well you know that I could help you there, Aunty."

Mom waved away her enthusiasm and chuckled lightly. "I'm joking Cadance but thank you. Truth be told I don't actually feel any desire for a mate of my own."

"Why not?" Cadance asked, ears down in a sort of confused sadness. "You're a beautiful mare, Aunty. You shouldn't have to be alone."

"I'm never alone," Mom replied, smiling at the both of us with yet another content expression. "I have you two…and now I have my sister back. What could anyone else ever give me that I don't already have?"

She looked down at her half eaten toast for a few moments before gazing back at us, her eyes suddenly watery. "I…I cannot have foals, and any stallion I meet will pass on long before myself. So, a mate has never been a reality for me."

"Couldn't you…uh, share your divinity?" I asked, the question blurting out before I had the sense to stop it.

Celestia looked at me and blinked, frowning for the slightest of moments.

"Who told you we could…ah, of course." She smiled though it seemed strained. "Luna told you, didn't she?"

Knowing I'd be obviously lying if I said otherwise, I simply nodded.

"Well…it is possible," Mom explained, moving her toast around with her hoof. "But it requires things that I simply do not believe I could give, like trust. You must completely trust who it is that you intend to share your divinity with, or it'll destroy them from inside out."

Cadance appeared to go slightly green and pushed her now full plate away, shuffling against me a touch more.

"Then there's love and a mating ritual you have to do…honestly, it's not something done on a whim, and I frankly don't trust anyone other than you two and my sister, so it's just not going to happen."

Mom looked up and suddenly smiled sheepishly. "Well, that got rather intense quickly didn't it."

She laughed and before I knew it I was chuckling alongside her, Cadance however remained slightly green as she puffed up her cheeks and frowned almost childishly.

"I'm not hungry now," Cadance said, pouting and nuzzling into the crook of my neck.

Mom cocked an eyebrow and giggled, rolling her eyes just before Cadance covered both of our faces with her wing.

"Hey, I'm still trying to eat!" I whined, batting at her wing lightly with a spoon.

"No," she denied, poking at my nose with the tip of her wing. "No food for you."

"What, I- Hey, whoa, no Cadance get your hoof out of, no, Cadance!"

Before I knew it, we were rolling on the floor, much to Mom's amusement as she merely watched and sipped her tea.

I was trying to pry Cadance's muzzle out from my rather ticklish neck when the door behind us opened, a few clopping sounds all the warning I got before I found myself looking upside down at…

"G-Good morning."

The shy, soft spoken voice was not at all what I expected and to that very moment it still surprised me to hear it, especially after everything that had happened, that she had said.

Princess Luna in all her glory was looking down at the two of us, a small, amused smile as Cadance quickly retracted her tongue from my neck and into her own muzzle. She closed her eyes slightly before walking to the seat next to Mom and sitting down beside her, Mom bending down a touch to whisper something in her ear.

A quick kiss stole my thoughts as Cadance nibbled my bottom lip, a quick wink and almost sheepish expression upon her face as she pulled me up with her.

"Um, sorry about that," I apologized, rubbing the back of my head awkwardly.

Luna merely smiled and shook her head. "It's quite alright, Alex. I…" She looked down at her plate and frowned sadly for the briefest of moments, but long enough for Mom to notice as she placed a wing around the darker mare, nuzzling her comfortingly.

The briefest feeling of…worry overtook me in that moment, no not just worry. I felt…I wanted to go to her and…

 _This feels weird…_

Suddenly feeling very uncomfortable next to Cadance, I made my way back and sat down.

And then it happened.

I can't quite comprehend the sensation I felt when I sat down at the table. It was like I knew without looking that she was _staring_ at me, and yet when I looked up...her eyes were closed in quiet contemplation.

I shook my head and went to reach for a slice of toast, only to _feel_ that sensation once again. It was more powerful this time, too powerful.

 _"Xander..."_ My vision wavered violently for the slightest of moments, that voice, _her_ voice caressing my mind, bring forth feelings too complex to understand.

Something was murmured beneath my breath, a single word ripping its way out of my mouth without control.

"Alex..." I looked up and...blinked, suddenly noticing the plates that held the various selection of breakfast were all floating in front of me.

"I..." And then they dropped back to the table with a clatter, the food scattering over it. "I'm...sorry, I didn't mean to do that."

I felt Cadance put a hoof upon my shoulder comfortingly, rubbing it. "It's not your fault honey, we just need to train you how to control it."

"Y-Yeah, I know," I agreed.

And then it came at me again, that sensation, that feeling. But this time I could _feel_ the emotion within.

Triumph.

I looked up again and this time I caught her eyes.

And then the world slowed down around me, everything slowed down. Mom sipping her tea, Cadance grinning at me, the flickering of sunlight peeking through the windows. Everything slowed down.

Then stopped completely.

Except for one, and who else could it have been but her.

"What's happening?" I asked, looking at the frozen world around me.

"It's merely power my love." Luna's voice was closer than I expected, making me jump only for her wings, wings larger by far then Cadance to hold me steady.

The mare's otherwise meek appearance seemed to melt away, her stance, her eyes, her expression suddenly oozing power and confidence as she looked at me with wide, doe like eyes.

"I couldn't have done it without you losing control of your own magic," she explained, pawing at the floor, her ears drooping slightly. "I needed a distraction, so I had to manipulate your emotions a little. I am sorry, but it was the only way we could talk."

She gazed up at me pleadingly. "Forgive me, Xander. This is the only chance we've had since my return to do this, I couldn't let it slip us by."

Her words, her expression, her everything did something to me. I could feel it within me, twisting and turning. My heart fell at her sadness…

"Stop doing that!" I snapped, backing away from her and shaking my head, as if to rid it of everything inside. "I don't want…I don't feel…I love Cadance!"

Luna looked truly confused, and very upset as I put distance between us. "I'm not doing anything, Xander."

"N-No, you're doing what you did before, stop it!" I demanded, a well of rage building within me.

"Xander, I swear I am not doing anything," she said quickly, worried eyes looking at me, through me. "The only magic I'm using is keeping time still, nothing else."

"Stop calling me that name, I'm Alex, not Xander!"

Luna winced at me voice and backed away, the hurt and pain on her face hitting me like a punch to the gut. "I-I'm sorry, please don't be angry with me."

Another punch, another stab of guilt and suddenly my anger faded away.

"I…Look, I'm sorry for yelling at you," I said wearily, rubbing my head. "But whatever this is, whatever you're trying to talk to me about, I don't want to hear it."

Luna's eyes lidded unhappily, she took a step closer, then another.

"But, don't you remember what we spoke about before?" she asked, her voice tight with emotion. "You believed me then, or you were starting to. Don't you want to know about what Celestia did to you, to us?"

"No, I don't," I refused, her eyes widening in shock. "Look Luna, I'm happy right now. I'm truly happy with my life. I've escaped from the hell your insane ghost put me through and all I want now is to get on with my life. That means with Cadance _and_ Celestia, whatever she did in the past doesn't matter to me."

At this she was completely silent, her head down and refusing to meet my gaze. A few more moments passed, and I was about to ask her to reverse what she'd done when she suddenly spoke.

"What about me?" she said quietly, looking up with tear filled eyes as she bit back a sob. "Does what did to me in the past not matter to you?"

"I…"

I couldn't even begin to think the word 'no', not with the way she was looking at me, not with the way my own heart seemed to tear itself in half.

My head throbbed, and for a moment I could hear a quiet, familiar screaming inside my head…and then…

"She tore us apart, Xander," Luna wept, wiping her eyes with a hoof. "She took you away from me, she destroyed our bond, our love for each other. You d-don't even remember how it felt, how I felt when you held me…"

She looked down at the ground and sniffed, her lips forming into a trembling smile. "You used to call me your little-"

"Moonflower."

Luna stopped speaking and looked at me in shock, her eyes wide and shiny.

"X-Xander?"

I…looked…back…and…

"Look around…look at how…lucky we are…to be…"

"Alive right now," Luna finished, eyes welling with tears. "Your silly song, you remember it!"

I smiled, the effort it took to do so physically hurting me, the weariness pulling me down under and under and under and…

…

I blinked.

"W-What just happened?" I asked, looking up only to suddenly notice where I was.

"Hon?" I looked to my right and saw Cadance looking at me, the amused smile from before still there. "Did I knock something out of that thing?" She tapped my head twice and giggled, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek.

 _What the hell is going on?_

I smiled half-heartedly and looked up at Mom and Luna, the latter of which was humming happily to herself as she dug into her porridge.

 _What just happened?_

A faint sound echoed from…everywhere, I could hear it and feel it.

Laughter, true joyous laughter.

It sounded like…me.

 _ **And there we go, chapter one on Saturday as promised.**_

 _ **I do hope you enjoyed this little bit of fun, it's been sometime since I've written anything this length, so I may be a bit rusty. But not to worry, I'm sure I'll get back into my usual 5000+ format eventually.**_

 _ **Cya, Stay Snuggly :D**_


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